


Hunger Pangs

by Dameceles



Series: Hand That Feeds [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Animalistic Behavior, Childhood, Coming of Age, Crushes, Developing Relationship, Family Drama, Friendship, Gen, Jealousy, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Verse, Platonic Cuddling, Pre-Tragedy of Duscur (Fire Emblem), Problematic Concept, Scenting, Social Commentary, Worldbuilding, pre-game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27027208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dameceles/pseuds/Dameceles
Summary: Ideallic summers were to be shared by the heirs of Faerghus. Yet they also experienced the discomforts of when one felt empty, and not just from a lack of food. AKA puberty bites, even moreso in ABO land.[pre-game, coming of age fic, multiple ships, prequel toSense of Taste]
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Ingrid Brandl Galatea, Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Ingrid Brandl Galatea, Glenn Fraldarius/Ingrid Brandl Galatea
Series: Hand That Feeds [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972471
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25





	1. Peppermint (Dimitri+Ingrid)

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve had these Blue Lion ABO drabbles on the backburner but decided to finish them up for Ingrid-rarepair-week.

Since he could remember Dimitri’d had this bad habit of affectionately nipping people he liked. Not true biting, never drawing blood or even hard enough to scrape, but still opening his mouth and pressing teeth to skin. Dimitri liked the closeness it required, the way he momentarily felt warmth on his tongue, and the undeluded taste of the person.

It'd been a habit that’d apparently begun before he’d even had teeth. His lord father, Duke Rodrigue, Margrave Esteban, and Count Steinar would place their infant children together in the king’s nest— so they could cuddle, nestle, and grow to recognize each other’s scents. Lambert enjoyed telling the embarrassing tales of how his baby-self had taken it a step further, gumming at and drooling on his nestmates. 

“The prince knows to stake his territory,” his father would say with a laugh.

Dimitri couldn’t recall such early days. Although he did possess memories of napping alongside his friends, all soft and sleepy with the subdued neutral scents that only the youngest years of pre-presentation bore. Now that their ages approached the double digits, everyone’s scents were changing, gotten far more complex and interesting. It’s partly why Dimitri had begun more frequently putting his mouth to skin, to examine more closely.

Most times, people tasted like they smelled, though was more intense when it rolled over his tastebuds. Sylvain’s taste was warm and soothing as a cup of good spiced tea, it always made him feel nice and melty. Felix’s taste was just as bright and sharp as he was, and occasionally astringent in a way Dimitri didn’t like and felt the urge to mellow by mixing with his own. But sometimes someone’s scent and their taste were completely different.

Ingrid’s scent wasn’t very strong, Dimitri had to either get close or focus really hard for his nose to pick it up. It was difficult enough that he couldn’t quite figure out how to describe it by his nose alone— but unlike with Sylvain and Felix, all the adults scolded when he went to nip Ingrid for a taste. So, he’d bided his time and waited, curiosity growing.

Finally, his chance came on a cloudless day where it was hot enough Sylvain had complained about extra training time under the summer sun and they’d instead headed indoors. Surrounded by the tall, book-lined shelves of the library the tutor had handed each of them a tome and they’d settled in for quieter study. An hour in Felix had grown bored and fallen asleep on the window nook; an hour after that Sylvain had curled up and joined the other boy. Rather than waking them, their tutor quietly told Dimitri and Ingrid, “Stay here and keep reading,” and then wandered out of sight.

It wasn’t the first time they’d been given assignments and then left to their own devices, after all the safety of the castle and their own habits of responsibility gave little reason to have caretakers hover. However, it just being himself and Ingrid, awake and essentially alone, was more unusual and Dimitri’s curiosity over changing scents filled him to the brim.

Without turning her green eyes from the book in front of her, Ingrid flipped the page and murmured, “Prince Dimitri, staring’s rude.”

“Ah, apologies,” he murmured back, though didn’t look away. He wasn’t close enough. So Dimitri put his hands on the bench beneath himself, pushed his weight up, and scooted closer to her as quietly as he could manage. He performed the maneuver twice more, his nose beginning to pick up familiar notes, when Ingrid sighed and turned her head.

“We’re getting too old for nuzzling, Your Highness.”

He’d heard those words from his caretakers before, but that hadn’t stung like hearing his friend say it. “…do you not like it?”

She glanced down and frowned. “It’s not an appropriate way to scent.”

“I won’t do it in front of people, but no one’s here right now.” He said, doing his best to keep pleading whines from his voice until the last word. “Please?”

Looking at him again, Ingrid extended an arm and he happily went to her side. When he gingerly wrapped his arms around her, the blonde girl’s own arms hugged him back tightly. It wasn’t as comfortable as cuddling in a nest, but he was glad to share an embrace and couldn’t help but duck down inhale. There it was— that subtle, nose-tickling scent that belong only to Ingrid. He didn’t realize he’d gotten close, enough so to touch his lips against the hinge of her jaw where skin was exposed over her blouse’s high collar, until Ingrid squirmed.

“Prince Dimitri, you shouldn’t bite.”

The chiding tone was enough to make him fidget, though not enough to douse his curiosity. Instead Dimitri propped his chin on her shoulder and argued, “It’s not a real bite, just a little nip. I promise it won’t hurt.”

She huffed disbelievingly but didn’t pull away as he tucked his face against her, instead one of her hands rose and began stroking the hair at the back of his head. Ingrid’s display of trust in him had Dimitri humming happily, but before he could set in to nuzzling Ingrid sighed. “I’m only supposed to let Glenn mark me, since we’ll be bonded when I’m grown up.”

Her words had Dimitri pulling back and sitting straight. Glenn was his friend too, sharp, bright, and already presented as Alpha. Although he’d let Dimitri nip at the underside of his wrist, the older boy always warned him away from his neck… maybe for the same reason Ingrid just said, that place was where bondmates marked. With that in mind he took one of Ingrid’s hands in his own, turning it palm up he asked, “Could I scent you here?”

Ingrid glanced down, at him, and then unbuttoned her sleeve, rolled it up, and held out her wrist in invitation. Dimitri couldn’t hold back a happy grin then he politely nosed at the thin skin; her mild scent more noticeable with the presence of a gland directly underneath. Without another thought Dimitri inhaled through his mouth, able to somewhat taste her scent on the air. He opened his mouth against her wrist, and gave her skin a brief lick.

A surprised but pleased sound escaped him. Ingrid tasted like peppermints, Dimitri decided. Though her smell was deceptively understated, her taste was like a cool spark against his tastebuds, sweetly refreshing. He liked it enough to lap before setting his teeth gently pinching the skin, but quickly released her. Wiping the saliva from her, he sat up and loosely held her wrist. “See? No mark.”

Ingrid nodded, then looked towards the window seat. “When we’ve all presented… no more nuzzling.”

Dimitri glanced at Sylvain and Felix cuddled up asleep, then slipped his hand down to squeezed her hand. “If I present as an Omega like father, I’ll ask for you all to tend me. Together.”

“Oh, Dimitri…” Ingrid smiled at him, but he read sadness in her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember those days when Dimitri could taste things and trusted his friends? Me neither. This largely platonic chapter’s prompt is Reading.
> 
> I've long headcanoned that Omegas have a stronger sense of taste than smell, even if that ends up a bit orally fixated.
> 
> For those confused by the names "Esteban" and "Steinar" they are my personal choices for Sylvain's father and Ingrid's father respectively.


	2. Noa Fruit (Felix/Ingrid)

Felix had overdeveloped Alpha instincts, his mother, uncle, and even brother commented on it often— didn’t matter that he hadn’t technically presented, all the other signs were there. It wasn’t his fault that a Major Crest amplified more primal thoughts and feelings. Wasn’t his fault ‘normal’ people didn’t experience the world as strongly as he did, that they weren’t compelled to _react_ like he was. But even he had to admit, it was no fun losing your tooth only to have one twice its size try to replace it.

It was a sunny summer day, perfect for running around and practicing, but instead Felix was hunched in a shady corner of the castle courtyard trying not to cry at how much his mouth was hurting from the new, bigger canines. The four milk teeth had all gone loose and fallen out at the same time, apparently pushed out by aberrations, _fangs_ , which felt like they were rearranging his entire mouth to fit. It made eating miserable, had it hurt no matter how he chewed. Felix hadn’t bothered to attend morning meal— not like he’d be able to eat anything —and his father had chastised him for not properly attending His Majesty as a guest should, which had put Felix in an even worse mood.

He couldn’t even distract himself by training— not with Dimitri who had to help host, not with Sylvain whom the Margrave would not excuse early. Not even with Glenn, as his brother was _entertaining_ other noble visitors from western Faerghus and too busy for him. So Felix had ducked away from the Great Hall and found the best place to indulge in a true sulk. He was sulking so deeply, irritated by how much pain teeth could cause, that he didn’t notice someone had found him until the bench under him flexed as they sat down beside him.

The fact that he hadn’t smelled her coming told him precisely who’d found him. Felix felt his lip curl as he drew upright and glared at the unwanted company. The blonde girl didn’t even have the decency to flinch, Ingrid instead meeting his eye and saying, “I brought you something to eat.”

She was holding two small bowls of noa fruit sorbet, at the sight of food his gut clenched with longing as sour frustration battled bubbly happiness over his friend thinking of him. The clashing feelings churned inside him, compounding with his aching mouth, had Felix scowling to hide the way tears threatened to gather in his eyes. Even his grumble, “I don’t _like_ sweets,” was ruined from the way his pronunciation whistled through the gaps of partial-descended canines.

Ingrid frowned but he couldn’t smell her mood shifting as she resolutely held one of the bowls towards him, arguing, “But this is soft, so you don’t have to chew!”

Her point was valid, and the hunger pangs that’d gathered since this morning only grew worse with the smell of food right in front of him. So Felix gave in and took the bowl, quickly scooping spoonfuls of sorbet into his mouth and letting it melt on his tongue. It was too sugary, the noa fruit taste near eclipsed by sweetness, and the cold made his teeth ache, but he couldn’t stop himself from eating the entire scoop and then licking the bowl clean.

When he began on the latter, Ingrid giggled beside him. “See? I knew you’d be hungry.”

Without stopping Felix sent her a glare, and was partially disappointed to discover that his friend hadn’t saved the other bowl for him but had instead eaten more than half already. Once he’d licked up every drop Felix found himself feeling ravenous, so set the empty bowl on the bench and attacked hers with his spoon. The surprise strike was a success, he was able to bring the large spoonful of seized sorbet to his mouth. Ingrid smelled alarmed as she loudly protested, “Hey, cut that out!”

“Just give me the rest.” He jabbed with the spoon again, managed to steal a sliver more. “You brought it for me, right?”

“You already ate one. _I’m_ hungry too!”

His next attack was less successful as Ingrid had extended her far arm away from him, and her reach proved to be just enough despite his stretching. That had Felix scowling doubly. It was so _irritating_ being reminded how Ingrid had recently gone through a growth spurt had made her noticeably taller than him, an advantage that Sylvain had had for years. It was more than being shorter that rubbed him the wrong way, his Alpha instincts also itched to bring them low— and right now, an urge to shove the blond girl down was so strong that Felix unconsciously rumbled in warning.

“Don’t growl at me!” Ingrid’s brow pinched and her mouth jutted in a fierce moue.

While looking at her pout, he spied it— a melting smear of sorbet at the corner. Without hesitation Felix leaned in, pressing his front to the side of her body, until he was able to lick the sticky sweetness off her skin. This close, it was impossible to miss the way Ingrid’s pink lips parted around a soft noise and several emotions strengthened her scent. It arrested Felix’s own movements, that smell matched the subtle taste on his tongue— clean, crisp, like those clear nights in winter when one breathed deep and felt refreshed. She was delicious.

Saliva flooded Felix’s mouth as his nose twitched, nostrils flared as he tucked his face under the hinge of her jaw and breathed in deeply. He liked it when she made another of those soft sounds.

“ _Get off her!_ ”

The yell had both of them jolting apart, heads snapping towards the slim figure storming towards the bench. It was his older brother, Glenn, a low growl rolling from his chest audible from across the courtyard. A bolt of fear struck Felix yet at the same time felt like his hackles raised, and a much weaker growl began rumbling from his own body. It sputtered out and his body tensed as he smelled how the Alpha boy’s bitter anger filled the air as he swiftly approached.

“Glenn!” Ingrid shouted as she stepped in his brother’s path, her own scent soured with worry.

His brother stopped growling and looked to her, blue eyes softening from a glare and the bitterness of his scent dimming. Glenn’s taller body folded to a kneel and his hands carefully cupped her smaller ones. “Ingrid, I won’t ask why you two are here unattended but I need to talk to Felix alone.”

“You’re not mad?” Ingrid’s voice wobbled with uncertainty, her green eyes darting between them.

“I’m not,” _at you._ Felix mentally added as his brother cut him a sharp look before he continued. “I promised that we could go riding, so why don’t you go get changed and meet me at the stables?”

That was unfair, as the blonde girl was obsessed with horses and would never say no to the chance ride. Yet Ingrid didn’t immediately dash off, instead fixing Felix with a questioning look. The fact she was willing to stay, _for him_ , somewhat soothed his building upset. Still he also didn’t like the idea of hiding behind his friend, so took a deep breath and said, “Go on, we’re fine.”

“Just a talk, then I’ll be at the stables.” Glenn raised a hand and brushed one of Ingrid’s twin braids back, passing by the same side of her neck with a deliberate movement— one that’d scent mark her. Felix managed to swallow down the urge to growl.

The blond girl lingered a moment longer, but went to the courtyard’s entryway when Glenn nudged her towards it. Watching her go Felix clenched and unclenched his hands, initial fear turning to nervousness and his instincts still wanting to meet the challenge. His brother remained low on his knees even as Ingrid moved out of sight and his scent had mellowed further, so Felix prodded, “You lied. I can smell that you’re mad.”

“Can’t argue with your nose! But it’ll lead you to trouble.” Glenn huffed out a hard breath, fixing Felix with a gaze that was less a glare but more frustrated. “Ingrid’s promised to be my bondmate, Felix. I love you, so I can’t sit back at watch you maul her.”

“I wasn’t!”

“Oh no? Then why was your face on her neck, near her scent gland?”

Felix had to clench his fists hard; he didn’t like what was being _implied_. He wouldn’t hurt his friends! But Glenn kept staring, hard enough Felix had to blink against the sting of tears. “…why’s Ingrid bonding _you_? She’s _my_ friend.”

“Because I can bring stability to Galatea when we bond, while you’re going to inherit dad’s job.” Glenn’s scent was finally free of bitterness and back to normal, the tension between them dissipated as his big hand mussed Felix’s hair. “Besides, you need to learn how to be a man and good Alpha, before thinking about bondmates.”

Felix hid a sniffle by blustering, “Oh, and you know?”

“Yep, it’s simple,” Glenn smiled wide enough to bare his own fangs. “A good Alpha man protects.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix/Ingrid not so platonic in this chapter, though I’ll leave things up for interpretation. The prompt is Protection.
> 
> In SoT I mentioned Felix's Alpha canines being larger than normal thanks to his Major Crest, I figure it's not the only amplified aspect. Growing pains are the pits, and Felix is a bit bratty and angsty over it (Glenn tries his best, but is also a hormonal teenager dealing with territorial impulses).
> 
> Also anyone else see Alpha Posturing as just being another flavor of toxic masculinity?


End file.
